Posy

Made it out of the office for a brief spell today, the 'best bit' being a trip to the uni gallery to check out the Posy Simmonds visiting exhibition (for 'locals' details here).....even better, the free catalogue was in the form of all of the exhibits in comic book format. Posy, more specifically her 'Mrs Webers Diary', was my comic book of choice in the 80's....it was great to see the original artwork (with all the corrections /blanked out bits plain to see) Going back tomorrow to snaffle another catalogue for the firstborn (who is apparently word-perfect on some of them) and another look/read/giggle.....the giggle will of course be one of those 'knowing' ones suitable for an an arty environment!

Short but nice....Birds on the Wires

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

The start of the surveying season....

....and a reason for personal celebration, a new academic year's worth of FREE, partly-charged (but definitely still usable) high-powered batteries ends up on my desk looking for a good home. That 'total station' in action up there only works with a set of 6 brand-new AA batteries, they get ditched after a single outing.....'waste not want not' I say!

Currently feeling 'a bit crap', the weekend's niggly sore throat is building up into something possibly worse....plus I'm in on my own at work (my left-hand man is on leave) so I haven't had a lunchtime so far this week. Although tomorrow I'm apparently 'on a promise' for a bit of cover, time unspecified, but not holding my breath!

A couple of silly links....

One of those point-and-click games, currently up to Episode 3
"You play the role of Kara, a spy in an alternate reality where World War I begins in 1901 and technology is much more advanced. Physicist Karl von Toten is on the verge of a great discovery and it's your task to uncover his secrets."
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
(NB...Episode 2 doesn't seem to have a 'play online' option.....but you can download the game to play offline)

Today's music choice
Shantel & Amsterdam Klezmer Band & Bucovina Club Orchester
 

What day?

Apparently I've roasted a chicken, made garlic croutons and a huge cauldron of soup (maybe I cackled a bit.....who knows), washed clothes (didn't wash dishes!) and OD'd on Lemsips and cheap port...everything else is just a blur. I'm off to watch the real thing.....

Oh bugger.....

....the rippin' kittens like Celebrity Come Dancing (all down to the boy in the attic thinking it was 'a good idea' to leave the TV on for background noise) Next stop names....I've suggested 'Cash and Carrie' and 'Fast and Luce'......neither of which went down well.......

Salt Rock

What a week...I'm absolutely cream-crackered. So tonight's cunning plan for posting a multitude of Friday-style/useless (though hopefully mildly entertaining) links is on the back burner until tomorrow. I only got as far as a trip to the campus library today.....this shot taken slightly to the right of the front door....good as it gets I'm afraid...........

No photographs.....CIA!

I pass this pair most mornings on the way into work.....Ernie, the one on the right, prefers to maintain an aura of secrecy, he's an undercover 'clerk of works' in the Estates Dept.....and it doesn't pay to have your face known to all and sundry after all!

The 'Rippin' Kittins' have landed.....

The boy in the attic took delivery of a pair of kittens tonight.....the initial meeting between them and the resident feline DIDN'T go well....said boy in the attic has retired hurt [hissy fit (cat)/slashed hand (him) ......current score, resident cat 1 - boyo 0].....guess who's still up?

Wonder why I thought this rather attractive 'do you think my bum looks big in this' gargoyle thingy (to be found above the front door of North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers) seemed appropriate? Pictures of the fluffy innocents MAY follow if circumstances allow.....don't hold your breath!

A night at the theatre

Just back from a great night out at our newly refurbished (read virtually rebuilt) neighbourhood theatre with the sister and bro-in-law. Roy Marsden and Susan Penhaligon in 'Murder on Air, three radio thrillers read in an authentic studio setting with live sound effects in the style of their original BBC broadcasts'.....loved it, especially the sound effects! I also loved the fact that it was only 10 minutes walk down the road. They've done a great job with the rebuild, plenty of legroom, neither too hot nor too cold, considerably more toilets than the original two with dodgy plumbing and a sensible sized bar replacing the one that used to operate from a cupboard. Another shot of the foyer/bar below.

 

A sunny September Sunday

.....so what do we decide to do?....why, go to the cinema of course (I've never been known for making timely life choices!) Have to say we all thoroughly enjoyed the film though.....it sticks pretty close to the original story and leaves not a lot to the imagination...worth watching! Oh, and below is the firstborn striding out for the cinema door, I can reliably report that the bag on her shoulder was stuffed with sandwiches and battenburg cake, quite surprised there wasn't a flask in there too! (and no, I didn't ask her whether I could take her picture, I reckoned that, as the mother I could be deemed as having given consent on her behalf...though if she decides her bum looks too big I could still be dead meat!)

Possibly some frivolous links later if I don't fall asleep on the couch.....

Saturday.....the dark side

For which read 'SHOPPING', not that I did any...took this one last week in broad daylight then processed it until it squeeked, as is only right for a despised activity, it deserves nothing more nor less (especially when it's nearly a week until payday and the overtime claim won't be paid until the end of October) EDIT...I didn't notice the scary guy in the shop window until I clicked the publish button.....says it all really!

Possibly on the cards tonight.....

Watching a few episodes of 'The Avengers' (the Tara King ones....watched one last night, talk about surreal) No link, I got it from a pirate friend on his beam ends, best not to ask questions....

Listening to a bit of Flanders and Swann (we all have a cross to bear)

Or maybe a dip into a bit of online point-and-clickery, Alchemia....not tried it yet but I love the graphics (found at jayisgames)

 

Then again....I might just give it all a miss and go to bed early with a nice mug of Horlicks and an Agatha Christie audiobook......

TFIF

Actually snapped yesterday over at 'City Campus East' while in search of a suitable image for a brochure front page.....I didn't find it!

But what I did find today was.....

it documents climate change on steroids. over at FORA.tv.....it's not for the faint-hearted!

Northern Print

 

You'll find this guy hanging around Northern Print on Stepney Bank, maybe to discourage loiterers! A couple of days ago I went to see the Northern Print Biennale currently showing at the Laing, there's some impressive stuff....well worth a visit if you've got half an hour to spare. Also on at the Laing at the moment, one of the galleries has walls full of Thomas Bewicks woodcuts, the majority only an inch or two in size.....luckily there's a big box of magnifying glasses for the visually challenged available!

Strangely entertaining

I was never a huge Michael Jackson fan......so why do I like this?

Click here if you dare....you'll end up watching rather more than you thought you would!

Side TV launches.....

 

....at midnight 18th september 2009 (although there's already viewable content online, go watch!) The launch is linked to the aforementioned 'Reinventing the City' event starting on the same date. Highly recommended....'Byker' and 'Quayside'!

Link to SideTV

Reinventing the city

Sooooo....it's been a long time....maybe I should have named this post Reinventing wor::site! Expect more pictures but a lot of the same old silly links....see how it goes eh?

By the way the REAL Reinventing the City looks good, it runs from 19th September to 11th October....

"Reinventing the City explores Tyneside’s re-imagination of itself through 200 years of industrial and post-industrial change.
Tyneside has been at the forefront of change and over the years artists have criticised, promoted and documented the process. The story is mirrored across the world, but the streets of NewcastleGateshead told it first and still tell it best.
Discover the art and architecture, the characters, the visions and the plans that made Tyneside what it is today. Through a series of events, tours, debates and exhibitions, Reinventing the City will question the reshaping of Tyneside, from the founding of the Lit & Phil in the late 1700’s to the NewcastleGateshead we see around us in 2009."
Brochure available for download here